The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-03-03

company of the Thirty first, National
Guards, with GA musketS, came
down fromMohawk, and were Quartered
| in the court house and details were
posted about the jail to reinforce the
deputies about the exterior of the jail.
The crowd in the village increased on
the arrival Of every train, and in spite
of the extreme cold men, women and
children stood about the streets sur
rounding the Jail, satisfied to look at
the officials as they passed in and out
OF the building. No one was permit
ted to pass the lines without display
ing badge of authority as deputies.
The execution was witnessed by only
twenty-five persons, including the OIL
Gals.
Rice. led the procession, followed by
Rev. DIR. Powell and the physicians
and deputies. Mrs. Druse was dressed
in black cashmere with lace edging on
the neck and sleeves. She wore a small
shawl over her shoulders, loaned to her
by Mrs. Cook. The crowd about the
court house and Jail was quiet and
orderly throughout. At 1l:42 Mrs.
Druse and DIR. Powell knelt on the
Mrs. Druse held her daughters bouquet
in her hand and closed her eyes, while
DIR. Powell offered prayer.
ROME, n. Y, Feb. 2S.--The Sentinel
has special from Herkimer, n. Y,
saying at 8 o'clock yesterday morning
DIR. Powell received a message from the
Jail, requesting his presence there, as
Mrs. Druse wanted to see him on
matter of great Importance. He i'm
mediately repaired to the cell of the
doomed woman. She said to him,
MIR. Powell, l have sent for you to
make a confession. VIII you listen?'
Eyes. certainly" replied the Doctor,
and he at once produced a pencil and
paper, and took down what she said
What am about to say to YOU" she
said, never lIas been made public be-
fore, and l assure you, on the honor of
a woman standing on the brink of the
grave, that / am speaking the truth.
About December LIST, on Wednesday
night, Druse was away as he usually
was. Gates came in and asked me if /
did not want to get rid of Druse. l
told him | was nearly dead now and
did not care what happened. He asked
me If L had the pistol he gave me, and
| told him yes. i went and got it. He
loaded it and l showed him / could
shoot it. Thep he went away. He
came again on December Il, the night
before the murder, and told me to hur-
ry up, TO take the first chance | got.
He said should not burn the head, be-
cause il would leave traces, but lie
would take care of that. Next morn
ing l saw him coming up the road as
Druse sat down to breakfast.
This was just after he raised the
AK to strike me, and / ran into the but
terry, got the pistol and came out. He
was sitting down at the table and
swore awful about the tea and sugar
and raised the pistol and shot. hit
him in the neck but only stunned him.
Gates then shot through the window
and he fell to the floor. i only shot
once. Gates shot three or four times.
| took the ak, cut his head off and
chopped him up. The head was
wrapped in paper and carried out to
the woodshed where it was put in lot
of buckwheat. The body was all
burned up but none was given to the
pigs. Gates came that night and told
| him what had happened and he said he
| would come for the buckwheat tO-mor-
row forenoon, which he did and took
! Druse's head with him. 1t was buried
| a mile from Richfield Springs, where l
could find it If chose. 1t took eight
| hours to burn the body and it made an
| awful smell and l nearly tainted sever
al times but | could not stand it any
| longer. He was brute and | had not
slept with him in twelve years. Gates
put up Frank TO tell what he did tell to
shove it all on to me, but he will get
his reward some time. Now you must
not tell anyone this until l am gone
and not let it get into any paper until
after twelve O'Clock tomorrow. You
can say too, that on my dying day l am
more innocent of crime than those who
put me up to it. There are some
names on that petition sent from War
rem which | could cover with shame
but | die in peace with everyone.
The statements in the Rome Sentinel
concerningS the confession of Mrs.
Druse, are declared by the Rev. G.. W.
Powell to be altogether without founda-
ton. Mrs. DrIse, DIR. Powell declares.
made no confession.